Page 93 of Hearts of Fairlake

"Where is EMS?" Annie asked with a groan. "Fucking diet, that's what you need, Chase."

"Stay still," I told Chase once we had him down. "Seriously, where is fucking EMS?"

"Dealing with the people who were nearest to the explosion," a new voice piped up, and I turned to see Adam's ex-wife standing there, clutching a kid to her chest while the other two clung to her legs.

"Shit," Chase growled, trying to turn onto his side. "Devin, they can't?—"

"Shut up," I grunted, yanking off my shirt and throwing it over his injured back. "Stay still, goddammit."

Which was perfectly timed as Amber and Colin came over once they realized it was us. Bri's face was pale, but she smiled steadily, her voice calm. "There was...an explosion. Most of the police were there as it was, I'm not surewhy, something about a hostage situation. And...is he okay?"

She had seen the metal her children hadn't, thankfully, and her voice was a whisper at the last part. I could only wince, knowing there was no way to know if he was going to be okay. “I don't know."

"Unca Chase, what you doing?" Amber asked in one of her rare moments of clear speech.

"He’s taking a little rest," Annie told her, reaching out to poke the little girl in her stomach, making Amber laugh. Colin was less than impressed and was staring solemnly down at Chase, reaching up to try to take my hand.

I scooped Colin up, both to comfort him and myself, as I tried not to think about the love of my life with a giant piece of metal in his back. "Where is everyone?"

"I don't know," Bri said, her expression threatening to crack down the middle before readjusting to a controlled, if warm, smile. "Adam went to go look for Bennett because he was near whatever was going on. But so was Trevor, and you know Ethan is never far from him, and everyone else is?—"

Oh God. Chase was badly hurt but didn't seem to be in immediate danger. Meanwhile Bri was here by herself, her husband out of town for the day. It might have seemed odd to some people who didn't know them, but Bri still loved Adam, and she loved Bennett as well, the three of them forming a perfect parental trio. Now Bennett was missing, and on top of that, she didn't know what had happened to her brother.

"I'd offer to watch the kids, but I don't want you doing something stupid like looking for them," I told her with an attempt at a smile.

"I've already considered it several times," she said with a grimace. "But I've got the kids, and I couldn't...plus, myexpertise is paperwork and the courtroom. Trying to find people in this chaos is not my thing."

The firehouse doors rattled open as the trucks began to pour out. Thankfully, they wouldn't have to go far, and I caught a glimpse of red hair in one of the windows as the trucks passed.

That had to be Julian, which meant Isaiah was probably in the truck with him. Or at least I hoped so because that meant two of my friends were accounted for.

"Stop moving so much," Annie hissed down at Chase. "You've moved enough as it is."

"Christ, I can't believe you're going to try to become a fucking nurse. You have a worse bedside manner than me," Chase grumbled.

"Language," I chided without thinking, looking around anxiously.

Bri jumped and pawed at her purse for a moment before drawing out her phone, almost dropping it in her haste to unlock it. Her eyes darted over the screen, and instead of more stress or relief, the two emotions I would have expected, she simply looked annoyed. "My brother is fine...sadly."

"Sadly?" I wondered, a little confused.

She held the phone out to show me the screen, and I couldn't help but snort. Ethan had sent her a picture, and he stood by a curb, soot smeared over his face, a cut on his cheek, but he was grinning and holding up a peace sign with the caption 'I lived bitch' at the bottom. "Yeah...that's Ethan for you."

"Since he didn't ask, I assume that means Trevor is also safe," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Honestly, he can't help himself. He has to be a jackass even in the middle of an emergency."

"You sound more surprised than someone who's beendealing with him his whole life has any right being," I said with a snort.

"I'll kill him some other time," she said with a shake of her head, and then her brow quirked. "And there's Adam. He was trying to get the crowds under control and help some of the wounded. Idiot didn't even think to text anyone that he was alive."

"Bennett?" I wondered.

"All I got was 'alive' from him, which is...helpful," Bri said sarcastically. "That could range from untouched to in a damn coma. I guess we'll find out."

"God, I hope no one was hurt," Annie said in a low voice. "Especially someone we know."

"I guess I'm just a fucking stranger," Chase muttered.

"Hush," Annie said. "It's a secret, remember?"

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